Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Elisha Janine of N.E. Colorado Springs

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Elisha Janine. Check out our conversation below.

Elisha, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
What I feel called to do now—something I used to be afraid of—is sharing openly about what it’s like to navigate the collision of trauma and a faith that often reinforces fear and shame.
For years, I stayed quiet out of fear of disappointing people I loved or being misunderstood by my church community. I believed God was distant and hard to please, like my unhealed father, which left me striving for approval and carrying a heavy sense of never measuring up, no matter how ‘good’ I tried to be.
What I’ve since discovered is the opposite: God isn’t asking us to earn His love. He’s a good Father, and we are already His beloved children. That shift has freed me from decades of performance and striving, and now I feel called to help others discover the same freedom.
I no longer deal with hurts by growing a “thick skin” or isolating myself. Instead, I pay attention to whether my love is growing hotter or colder—and I try to live and speak from the place of love that’s increasing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey fellow royal humans! I’m “Mom” to three adult children and “Meemah” to eleven amazing grandchildren. I’m the author of the award-winning book Don’t Disappoint Daddy: A Story of Abuse, Abortion and Acceptance in the Beloved, a story that transformed my life in the most unexpected and beautiful ways. The book-writing journey has led me to new and more positive perspectives on how I view myself and how I view God.
Today, I serve as a Faith Journey Coach, walking alongside women who are ready to move from striving for God’s approval into the freedom of living from His love. I collaborate with therapeutic professionals, advocates, and faith leaders, using both my memoir and my personal journey as a living case study of how religion often reinforces trauma—and how healing and truth can break through. With decades of experience as a worship leader, pastor’s wife, and Bible teacher, my heart is to see the chains of trauma and shame-based faith exposed and broken so God’s daughters can step into the abundant life they were always meant to experience.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I’d never be “good enough.” My dad was very critical, and no matter what I did, the goalposts always seemed to move. Over time, I absorbed the idea that God felt the same way about me—that His approval was something I had to earn constantly.
I even pictured Him a bit like a Cosmic Santa Claus: who sees me when I’m sleeping; who knows when I’m awake; who knows whether I’ve been bad or good–so be good for goodness sake! This left me anxious and unsure if I’d ever measure up.
The truth I hold onto now is so freeing: God’s love isn’t conditional or based on what I do for Him. I don’t have to strive to win His approval—He already delights in me as His beloved daughter.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life have been the silencing of my voice and the belief that I had to stay constantly productive to avoid punishment. Both my family and religious systems reinforced these patterns, often profiting from my silence and striving.
When I found the courage to express myself in whatever ways felt safe at the time—singing, journaling, or conversations with trusted friends, I reclaimed my voice little by little.
A significant turning point came when chronic exhaustion nearly cost me my life. I started asking hard questions: Who benefits from my constant toil? Is this drive healthy? What part am I playing in staying stuck? Choosing to remain open to hope and help has been key. Some of the greatest healing has come from finding authentic community—online and in person.
In addition, I reframed my sense of worth based on the wondrous intricacies of our design, which God says is good. If we are the product of chance or our environment, our value could shift with the winds. But since I believe we are designed with intentionality and dignity that mirrors royalty, then my worth—and everyone else’s—is unshakable.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I once believed that God was angry, distant, and hard to please. Actually, I thought this for more than five decades. This belief mirrored my experience with my dad and was reinforced by religion, which taught me to fear hell if I didn’t perform well enough to earn acceptance.
Looking back, I realize I had projected my dad’s image onto God—believing He was as critical and withholding as the father I grew up with.
But through my own encounters with God, I’ve discovered something entirely different: God is a good, kind Father who longs for a loving relationship with His children—just as any healthy father would. I now live knowing I’m truly loved as His beloved daughter. Instead of the Santa version of God I mentioned above, I understand He’s available to show Himself strong on our behalf. I don’t mind at all that He watches over me with goodwill.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply is that you don’t have to become somebody—you already are somebody. Healing often comes from shedding the layers we’ve had to put on just to survive.
One reason I stopped asking children what they want to be when they grow up is that it plants the idea that their lives don’t matter yet. In reality, they’re making contributions right now. It’s not these contributions that make them valuable, however. I love reminding them that they bring joy to the world simply by being. Who is that said we’re human ‘beings’ not human ‘doings ‘?
I’d be willing to bet that adults need this reminder, too. The little child inside each of us never outgrows the need for genuine affirmation. My hope is that the legacy I leave behind is the joy of helping others know they are seen, valued, and loved—just as they are.